SOX USE BIG FOURTH INNING, MIDDLE OF LINEUP, TO WIN SERIES

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Keston Hiura, Mitchell Holland, and Sheldon Liikala combined to go 6-12, with three runs scored and three RBI, as CJ Gettman picked up his first win, Tuesday.

Keston Hiura, Mitchell Holland, and Sheldon Liikala combined to go 6-12, with three runs scored and three RBI, as CJ Gettman picked up his first win, Tuesday.

WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (6-6, 3-5) won their first West Coast League series of 2015, in an 8-3 contest, securing a chance for a sweep against the Medford Rogues (5-6, 5-6), Wednesday night.

Unlike a night ago, the Rogues started the night off, offensively with two runs in the first inning, both unearned, following an error on the infield.

In the second inning, Wenatchee manufactured a run after Mitchell Holland led off the inning with a double into the left field bullpen. Sheldon Liikala then moved him up to third with a groundout to the right side. Nick Nyquist also turned a ball on the right side of the infield for an RBI groundout to first, which evened the game at one.

Starter CJ Gettman (1-0) had to expend a lot of pitches in the first three innings, but really settled in during frames four and five, throwing just 21 pitches, while only allowing one runner on base. He was caught stealing by Andrew Helmstadter. Gettman lost his 16-consecutive scoreless innings streak at 16 2/3 innings, following the two-out runs for Medford in the first.

Wenatchee got Gettman the runs he needed in the fourth inning, taking advantage of three Rogue errors. Medford entered Tuesday night as the top defensive team in the West Coast League, by fielding percentage. The AppleSox also chased Medford starter Gabe Gentner (0-1) in the inning. The Rouges used five relievers for a second-straight night.

All of the AppleSox runs in the fourth came across unearned, but Holland, Keston Hiura, Nick Nyquist, and Kyle Vanderkin all got hits in the inning as well. The AppleSox three, four, and five hitters (Hiura, Holland, and Sheldon Liikala) combined to go 6-for-12 on the night with three runs scored, and three runs driven in.

Liikala extended his hitting streak to twelve games in the seventh inning with a double. Helmstadter added the AppleSox eighth run on a sacrifice fly to score Holland, who got aboard via a single up the middle to open the inning. Holland went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. His UC Irvine teammate, Hiura, was the only AppleSox player with 2 RBI.

Brian Gadsby pitched the final 2 2/3 innings in relief of CJ Gettman and helped secure the AppleSox win, while throwing three strikeouts along the way to bring his season total to six.

Wenatchee has a chance to sweep the series Wednesday night. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. and Zach Haggett (0-1, 6.00) takes to the hill for the AppleSox.


WP: CJ Gettman (1-0)
LP: Gabe Gentner (0-1)